Crop Management
WINNIPEG — The Prairie Oat Growers Association is pushing back against allegations that Canadian oats are contaminated with chemicals from a plant growth regulator. Brad Boettger, POGA chair and a farmer from east of Edmonton, said a recent study from the Environmental Working Group (EWG) is fear mongering to raise doubts about the safety of […] Read more
Crop Management
Oat producers call chlormequat report fear mongering
Environmental Working Group blames Canadian producers for residues of plant growth regulator found in oat products
India keeps door open for pea sales
Country extends its duty-free window, but increased opportunities for exports not expected to last
SASKATOON — India is extending its duty-free pea import window. The new rules call for a bill of lading to be in place by April 30, 2024. The previous regulation called for shipments to clear customs prior to March 31, 2024. Related stories: India is back in business on peas India may need to lift […] Read more
Sask. expects little runoff
REGINA — Saskatchewan producers could experience another drought year in 2024, according to the Water Security Agency’s preliminary runoff report. Spring runoff is expected to be well below normal in most of the province. Snowpack accumulation has been minimal and as of Feb. 1 the entire province is rated well below normal for anticipated runoff […] Read more
U.S. OKs existing dicamba supplies
CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says farmers can use some existing supplies of herbicides based on the chemical dicamba, despite a recent federal court ruling that halted their use. The decision is a win for farmers who planned to use dicamba products sold by Bayer, BASF and Syngenta on genetically modified […] Read more
Winter cereals struggle to survive
Lack of snow cover, January deep freeze and abnormally high temperatures have stressed winter crops across the Prairies
Minimal snow cover, frigid temperatures in mid-January and above-average temperatures after that may have set the stage for winterkill in winter crops. The risk is high enough to cause concern among crop specialists. “The eastern Prairies are in a little bit better shape than (Saskatchewan and Alberta) but there’s huge swaths that in my mind […] Read more
CNH invests in compostable baler net wrap
Nature’s Net Wrap is an environmentally friendly alternative to long-lived plastic that maintains bale integrity for a year
Virtually every cattle farmer and rancher has tripped over an old piece of plastic baler twine or net wrap stuck in the ground in a corral or bale yard. The stuff just never seems to go away. However, an entrepreneurial Alberta ranching family has come up with a solution to eliminate that problem with a […] Read more
‘Simple solution’ helps to connect trailers
CALGARY — It’s a pretty good bet an invention has a good chance of being successful when a video about it is posted to Facebook and unexpectedly gets millions of views from around the world. That’s what happened to Real Garant of Donnelly, Alta., after he created a device aimed at solving a problem faced […] Read more
Canadian quantum-sensing startup receives Deere nod
John Deere’s Startup Collaborator program helps new companies develop and explore innovative technology
CALGARY — A Canadian firm that uses quantum sensing to improve navigation for autonomous vehicles is among six start-up companies from around the world that will be collaborating with John Deere. “This is a perfect opportunity to find a technology that’s really interesting that may have a large application to solving customer problems that are […] Read more
U.S. organic sales fall for the first time
SASKATOON — Organic sales in the United States have slumped after rising steadily for decades. Sharon Raszap Skorbiansky, research economist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service, said retail sales fell for the first time ever in 2021. “It was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, by high food price inflation, the economic downturn […] Read more
Combine to Customer at Cereals Canada
For the next couple of days I’m following along a group of farmers as they take part in the Combine to Customer program. I’m going to update this post throughout, so check back here to see what’s new. Don’t tell me the industrial tooling of pasta-making isn’t beautiful. (But don’t drop these heavy brass molds […] Read more
